Bits of light streamed into the small room as Dellis Trevelyan's eyes fluttered open. He groaned slightly as he stretched his neck, feeling a stiffness that suggested he had been unconscious for more than a few mere minutes. As he tried to massage the pain away, he quickly realized that his hands were bound.

Panic quickly set in. Dellis was no stranger to shackles and prisons; in fact, he was quite adept at escaping them. But this time he had no idea where he was, how he'd gotten there, or what crime he had committed.

Dellis wriggled himself into a sitting position and surveyed his surroundings. The cell was solid, clearly old but built to withstand the test of time. He was certain he could find a way out, given the chance. The jarring sound of the prison doors creaking open put to rest any plans for escape.

No fewer than four guards marched in, each wearing Chantry colors. Dellis felt his muscles tense as one of the guards fumbled with the lock on his cell door. As the door opened, two of the guards seized him by the arms and dragged him his cell and into the center of the prison room. The moved into position at each of the four corners of the room, blades drawn and pointed at their captive.

With a loud clank, the main door opened and Dellis could see the silhouettes of two women. He had hoped for friendly faces, but it was soon clear that he would have no such luck. The first woman to walk through the door was tall, and clad in some kind of Chantry armor. Her hand gripped the hilt of a longsword tucked neatly into the sheath at her hip. Gripped it perhaps a bit too tightly, Dellis thought to himself. She made a beeline for the center of the room, while her companion waited in the shadows.

"Tell me why I should not kill you where you stand," the woman hissed as she leaned in so closely that Dellis instinctively recoiled.

"I'm not actually standing," Dellis reminded her. He immediately regretted the quip as he felt a sting across his cheek, reeling from the blow he had not expected to come so quickly.

"Cassandra, we need him alive," the second woman warned, taking a single step forward. Cassandra paused for a moment before returning her attention to Dellis.

"The Conclave is destroyed," Cassandra continued. "Everyone who attended is dead... except for you."

Dellis stared at her for a moment, blinking his eyes and trying to ignore the throbbing pain along the left side of his face. He could feel blood trickling down his neck. "Wait," he said after a moment, seeing her intense and vicious gaze. "You think I had something to do with this?"

"Explain this!" she shouted, grabbing his left arm just below the shackle. As if on cue, a bright green light erupted, causing Dellis to cry out in pain. Green tendrils traced along his forearm toward his shoulder.

"Wh-what is that?" he asked as he stared as his hand, then back at his captor.

"You mean to tell me you don't know?" Cassandra asked with a hint of a laugh.

"I don't!" Dellis assured her, eyeing his palm again. "I have no idea how it got there."

"You're lying!" she snarled, grabbing him by the collar and hauling him to his feet.

"We need him," the second woman reminded her. Dellis stared at Cassandra as her mouth twisted into an angry scowl.

"What's the Conclave?" Dellis dared ask after a moment of strained silence.

"What is the Conclave?" Cassandra repeated.

"Yes?" Dellis asked, unsure why the question was so unusual.

The two women exchanged glances, continuing the uneasy silence. "Do you remember anything?" the second woman asked after a moment.

"I don't even know where we are, much less what this Conclave is," he told them. "The last thing I remember is being in Denerim."

"Denerim?" Cassandra asked in disbelief.

"Yes, Denerim," Dellis repeated, noticing the perplexed look on both women's faces. "Where are we now?"

"Haven," the second woman explained. "In the Frostback mountains."

"What?" Dellis asked in genuine surprised. "How did I-"

"Go to the forward camp, Leliana," Cassandra interrupted, releasing Dellis and turning toward her companion. "I will take him to the rift."

Dellis quickly regained his footing, his muscles stiffening as the armor-clad woman turned back toward him. What felt like a thousand thoughts flooded his mind. He had been in Denerim yesterday. How could he possibly be in the Frostback mountains? It wasn't possible.

"Come with me," Cassandra ordered as she unlocked the shackles, grabbing him by the sleeve and roughly dragging him toward the door. For about half a second Dellis considered trying to escape before deciding any such attempt would end in a very painful death.

"What is the rift?" Dellis asked as the two exited the prison. He squinted as his eyes adjusted to the sudden flood of sunlight.

"It will be easier to show you," she replied, offering no further explanation.

It did not take long for Dellis to notice the tear in the sky. At the center of a swirling tempest was a great green maw, not dissimilar to the mark that had appeared on his hand. A long tendril of crackling green energy stretched from the tear down toward the ground below.

"We call it the Breach," Cassandra explained. "Demons stream forth and it grows larger with each passing hour."

As he stared at it, mouth agape, Dellis felt the burning sensation return to his arm. His knees buckled as his palm flared with green energy, leaving him kneeling before the warrior.

"Each time the Breach expands your mark spreads," Cassandra told him with little more than a glance downward. "It is killing you."

"No need to sugar coat it," he said sarcastically through gritted teeth.

"It may be the key to closing the Breach," she continued, ignoring his comment, "but there isn't much time."

"So, helping you is helping me," Dellis replied, pushing himself to his feet. "I guess we're partners then."

Cassandra snorted in disgust as she pointed toward the barracks ahead of them. He followed her silently, visibly shrinking before the angry crowd before them.

"They blame you," Cassandra explained curtly as she dragged him toward the camp's exit.

"For what, exactly?" Dellis asked. "A hole in the sky?"

"For the explosion," Cassandra answered, turning sharply and stopping him in his tracks.

"An explosion did that?" he asked, pointing at the Breach.

"Yes, an explosion," she snapped in return. "An explosion that created the Breach and killed everyone attending the Conclave... Including Divine Justinia."

"W-wait, the Divine was killed?" Dellis stuttered in shock. "And you really believe I had something to do with it?"

Cassandra paused and looked at him for a moment before pulling a knife out of her belt. For a moment Dellis felt certain that she meant to execute him, but instead she deftly slit the ropes still binding his hands and returned the knife to its sheath. "No, I suppose not."

"I swear to the Maker that I did not blow up a mountain," he assured her with as much earnestness as he could muster. The look she gave him suggested he had probably failed, but she said nothing.

"Come," she ordered. "We must test your mark on something smaller than the Breach."

"What do you mean test it?" Dellis asked, jogging to keep up.

"Be silent and follow," Cassandra ordered. As Dellis caught up with her he saw another eruption in the Breach and felt his mark ignite, wracking his arm in pain. A quick and firm grip on the back of his jacket kept him upright and pulled him forward. Cassandra clearly had no intention of letting Dellis slow her down.

"Where are we going, exactly?" Dellis risked asking. He sighed as Cassandra pointed toward the Breach. He should have known that would be the answer.

"It is not far," she replied brusquely as they approached a bridge over the frozen river below them. The two were about halfway across when the Breach erupted again. Dellis's body tensed as he tried to ignore the pain, this time managing to stay on his feet. Unlike the previous eruptions, this time Dellis could see several objects ejected from the tear. He began to back away as he realized one of them was hurtling straight toward them, but he was too late. It crashed through the bridge at immense speed, throwing the two of them to the icy riverbed below.

Dellis groaned as he rolled onto his side and slowly pushed himself to his feet. He would be sore, to be sure, but was thankful nothing seemed to be broken. As his eyes focused he could see Cassandra barreling away from him, sword and shield in hand toward what seemed to be... a demon? Dellis quickly took a step backward as the ice in front of him seemed to writhe in a greenish-black fog. He may not have been a mage but he knew that could only mean one thing.

Andraste's tits, I'm going to get eaten by a demon, Dellis thought to himself as he scrambled to find something to defend himself with. His eyes instantly fell upon the nearby corpse of a warrior or scout. He scrambled toward the body and snatched up the short blade beside it, then turned to face the shade before him.

Dellis had never seen a demon before, let alone fought one. He briefly glanced toward Cassandra, who was deftly holding her own amidst several of the creatures. Dellis wondered if perhaps she was a templar. He turned his attention back to the shade as it advanced on him, leaving a trail of blackness behind it.

The shade attacked first, dashing forward at an unnatural speed. Dellis ducked away to its flank, slashing the sword at the demon. It recoiled with a bizarre screech, giving Dellis the opening he needed. He pressed his attack, tearing off bits of the shade's cloak with each swing. The tattered remains floated in the brisk mountain air before briefly dissipating like smoke.

Maker's breath, how do templars do this? Dellis wondered to himself as he ducked beneath a particularly aggressive swipe. By this point, Cassandra had dealt with her own foes and was charging toward the pair. She made quick word of the shade as Dellis watched on in awe. As it fell, Cassandra pointed her longsword at toward him.

"Drop the blade," she snarled, inching closer.

"You're joking," Dellis replied with a chuckle. His smile disappeared when he realized that she was not, and likely was never, joking. "I was just attacked by demons. What did you want me to do?"

Cassandra held her blade steady, but after a moment her glare softened. "You're right," she admitted begrudgingly. "I cannot expect you to go undefended."

"Are those things everywhere?" Dellis asked as he followed her up the river bank and back to the road. She nodded in response, pointing in the distance toward the Breach.

"They are most concentrated near the Breach," Cassandra explained.

The two followed the road up towards what Cassandra explained to be the charred remains of the Temple of Sacred Ashes, occasionally stopping to dispatch isolated pockets of demons that still lingered at the outskirts of the ruins. With the warrior's help, Dellis was able to quickly adapt and learn to fight them, something that seemed to considerably mellow his companion's deathly glare.

"I hear voices," Dellis whispered as they climbed a flight of stairs carved into the rock bed. Cassandra was the first to reach the top. As Dellis cleared the top of the stony outcropping, he could see a green crystalline mass hovering in the air jut above a group of soldiers who were neck-deep in demons.

"We must help them," Cassandra shouted as she broke into a run. Dellis sprinted after her, gripping his blade tightly as Cassandra barreled into the fray.

The demons paid the two newcomers no mind, giving Dellis a much-needed advantage. He brought his sword down on one of the wraiths, cleaving it in half and using the momentum to tumble beneath another. He skidded across the gravel-littered ground, nearly tripping over the fallen body of one of the soldiers. As he looked up, Dellis could see a dwarf holding the largest crossbow he'd ever laid eyes on. He could also see that the dwarf was being flanked. Wasting no time, Dellis pushed himself to his feet and leapt in their direction.

"Duck!" Dellis shouted as he hacked through one of the closer shades. Without hesitation the dwarf dropped to one knee as Dellis dipped a shoulder and launched over him back to back, pushing forward and stabbing his blade through another shade.

"Quickly, the rift!" an elf shouted, approaching Dellis with odd determination as Cassandra mopped up the last of the demons. Before he could object, the elf grabbed Dellis by the wrist and thrust his hand toward the green mass. He could feel the increasingly familiar burning sensation return as his hand ignited in a blaze green energy, but this time a tendril of energy shot out from his palm toward the mass. There was a bright burst of light, and once the flash dissipated Dellis was surprised to find the air around them calm and empty.

"What just happened?" Dellis asked, rubbing the back of his head.

"You sealed the rift," the elf explained with a smile. Cassandra seemed as surprised as Dellis.

"Nice work there, prisoner," the dwarf commented with a smirk as he approached the group. "Varric Tethras. Rogue, story-teller, and occasionally unwelcome tagalong." Dellis could heard Cassandra scoffed in disdain at the comment.

"As fun as all this has been, I have no idea what the bloody hell is going on," Dellis complained. "What was that and how did I seal it?"

"It was a rift into the fade," the elf explained. "It is one of many such rifts that have appeared since the Breach was opened."

"Solas theorized that you may have the power to seal the rifts, and ultimately the Breach," Cassandra continued, still sneering at the dwarf.

"We better get the hero here to the Breach, then," Varric suggested with a wry smile.

"This is not your fight, Varric," Cassandra replied dismissively.

"Your soldiers down in the valley aren't in control anymore," Varric returned with a slight frown. "You need all the help you can get, Seeker."

With a disgusted noise Cassandra conceded his point and waved dismissively at the dwarf. "Come," Solas suggested. "We should regroup at the forward camp. It is not far."

Dellis followed the motley group down the winding mountain path. The hike was blissfully uneventful, and they reached the forward camp without further delay. Cassandra pushed ahead as she noticed two figures arguing in the distance. Dellis recognized one of them as the shadowy woman from the prison. The other, a man, was unfamiliar.

"The prisoner should be taken to Val Royeaux to be tried and executed!" the man shouted as the group approached.

"Chancellor Roderick, we need him," Leliana returned with fierce determination in her eyes. "He may be the only one who can stop this."

"You, Seeker," the man said, ignoring Leliana. "As grand chancellor of the Chantry I order you to arrest this man at once."

"You, order me?" Cassandra snarled before Dellis could protest. "You are a glorified clerk! A bureaucrat."

"And you are a thug-"

"We serve the Most Holy, Chancellor," Leliana interrupted, "as you well know."

"Justinia is dead," the chancellor snapped.

"I'm standing right here," Dellis grumbled with annoyance. "Isn't closing the Breach more important than bickering over whether or not I should be hanged?"

"This is your doing, prisoner!" Roderick accused before turning his attention back to Cassandra. "Call a retreat, Seeker. Our position here is hopeless."

"We must stop this, here and now," Cassandra refused.

"How do you plan to do that?" the chancellor asked. "You'll never survive the trek to the temple, even with all your soldiers."

"Go through the mountains," Leliana suggested. "Our forces can charge as a distraction to cover your movements."

"It's too risky," Cassandra said, shaking her head. "We lost contact with an entire squad on that path."

"Maybe we can help them then," Dellis suggested with a nervous smile. Cassandra furrowed her brow, but made no further objection.

"He's right," Leliana pushed.

"Fine," Cassandra finally relented. "Bring everyone left in the valley. Everyone."

"You did the right thing," Varric said quietly as they followed Cassandra and Solas toward the mountain path.

"I was worried for a moment she might literally bite my head off," Dellis replied with a smirk. "She seems the aggressive sort."

"You'll get use to the Seeker," Varric chuckled. "Underneath that murderous exterior she's all tulips and daisies."

"Rashvine, more like," Dellis suggested. Cassandra turned to glare as she heard them chuckling.

"Right behind you, Seeker," Varric promised with his trademark smile. He put a hand up next to his mouth to muffle the sound. "I'm pretty sure she can kill you with just her eyes."

Dellis smiled as the group approached what looked to be an abandoned mining complex. A maze of ladders snaked up the side of the cliff face, leaving his arms and legs aching as they finally reached the top. Inside several demons awaited them, but with Solas's magic and Varric's crossbow neither he nor Cassandra had much to do. Dellis found himself filled with a surprising appreciation for the apostate's skills, both in combat as well as at diffusing the Seeker.

Dellis had heard tales of the Seekers of Truth, even in the alleyways of Denerim. The stories told of a fierce order of warriors who answered only to the Divine herself and existed both to keep the templars in check as well as to succeed where the templar order might fail. As such, templars feared them, as did mages. Many of the stories were exaggerated, he was sure. Even so, Dellis knew it would be wise to try and stay on the Seeker's good side, if that were even possible.

For whatever reason, Cassandra seemed to hold great respect for the elven apostate. It seemed strange, considering even Circle mages were regarded with distrust by both the Seekers and the Templar Order.

Having overheard some of their conversation, Dellis gathered that Solas had volunteered his assistance after the Breach had appeared, turning himself over to Chantry forces in an act of good faith. Cassandra had resisted at first, but when his skills had proven invaluable she had relented and come to appreciate the elf.

"How long was I unconscious after the explosion?" Dellis asked as they walked along the frigid mountain path toward the remnants of the Temple of Sacred Ashes.

"Several days," Solas answered him casually. "The appearance of the mark undoubtedly greatly distressed your body."

"That's his way of saying he kept the mark from killing you in your sleep," Varric mused.

"Another rift ahead," Cassandra announced, bringing her shield to bear. Dellis pulled the sword from his belt as Cassandra moved ahead of the group, ready to distract as many of the demons as possible.

Dellis dashed in behind Cassandra as demons poured from the rift. He brought the blade forward as a shade materialized behind the Seeker, ending its flanking attempt before it started. The now familiar thud of Varric's crossbow releasing bolt after bolt gave him a moment to breathe as he sought out his next target. Cassandra had since charged toward the soldiers corned on the far side of the rift. It seemed they had found the missing patrol.

The ground suddenly began to churn as green tendrils lashed out from the rift and arced toward Dellis's feet. He was suddenly thrown only his back as a demon erupted from the ground below him. It crawled and scraped as it emerged, revealing itself to be twice the height of a man with long spindly fingers and a chitinous body. It screamed as it reached its full height, sending a chill down Dellis's spine that was so intense he couldn't will himself to move.

"Watch out, jailbird!" Varric shouted, aiming at the demon and releasing a single bolt. The projectile cut through the air and found its mark in the demon's chest, giving Dellis the jolt he needed to scrabble to his feet. The demon was barely phase by the attack, though it certainly seemed angry.

"Maker's balls, what is that?"

"Terror demon," Solas explained curtly, twirling his staff and engulfing the three in a blue energy barrier. "Very strong. Very problematic."

"I've got this," Dellis assured him, regaining his composure and rushing back toward the demon.

"Keep your wits about you!" Solas shouted after him.

The demon's attention was still drawn to Varric. Dellis took the opportunity to press his attack, knowing that if the terror demon did remain fixated on the dwarf, there would be no stopping it from turning Varric into a smear on the stone.

Using the demon's distraction to his advantage, Dellis sprinted toward the creature and quickly dropped to his knees, sliding between the terror demon's legs and reaching out with his blade. The demon howled in anger as it turned its attention toward Dellis, allowing Varric a moment to breathe and reload his crossbow. Dellis jumped back as the demon reached out a clawed hand, but underestimated the reach of its lanky arms.

Dellis caught the blow in his gut, sending him flying back several meters. He crashed to the rocky ground with a thud, groaning in pain as he tried to will himself to his feet. The demon howled menacingly at him as it approached, ignoring the handful of bolts stuck in its side. Solas's magic also seemed to have no effect.

Just as Dellis had given up hope of escape, Cassandra plowed into the terror demon shield first, pinning it to the ground with a loud grunt. "Seal the rift!" she barked, holding the demon down with all of her weight. It screeched in protest, reaching out with its arms to try to dislodge her to no avail.

After a moment of hesitation, Dellis broke off toward the rift at as quick a run as he could muster. A few demons remained, pitted in desperate battle against the handful of remaining soldiers. As he rushed toward the rift, Dellis reached out his hand. The bright green light flared yet again and energy streamed from his palm toward the crystalline rift. After a moment's exertion he ripped his hand backward, detonating and sealing the rift and banishing the remaining demons. He heard a crash behind him as the terror demon vaporized and Cassandra dropped to the ground below on top of her shield.

"Thank you for the daring rescue, Seeker," Dellis smirked, holding his hand out to help her up. He was fairly certain he saw her roll her eyes as she ignored his gesture, pushing herself to her feet and reclaiming her shield.

"Lieutenant, make for the Breach," Cassandra ordered. One of the nearby soldiers thanked her profusely before bowing and heading off toward the temple.

"We should make haste," Solas suggested, pointing in the same direction the soldiers had just headed. "The Breach grows larger with each passing moment."

"Don't remind me," Dellis mumbled, flexing his hand as another flare took hold. He was quickly learning to block the worst of the pain, but Cassandra's words still rang clear in his mind. He was certain she was right; the Breach was killing him.

Cassandra lead the party to what was left of the Temple of Sacred Ashes. As Dellis followed her through a large archway, he saw the largest rift he had yet to witness, though there no demons in sight. It hovered above what he assumed had once been the main amphitheater of the temple.

"This was the first rift," Solas explained as they approached. "It is possible that if we seal this rift we seal the Breach."

"Cassandra!" a voice called from behind them. Dellis turned to see Leliana approaching with a handful of soldiers. He wasn't entirely sure why, but Dellis was pleased to see that Leliana had survived the trek to the temple. She, at least, had never tried to kill him. At least not yet.

"Leliana, thank the Maker you made it safely," Cassandra breathed with a sigh of relief.

"We are ready for whatever is next," Leliana assured her.

"Come," Cassandra ordered. "We must find a way down to the rift."

Dellis followed the Seeker along the rubble-filled pathway leading to the main chamber where the rift awaited them. Cassandra moved slower than usual, as if she were dreading ending the nightmare that was the Breach. Dellis wondered if perhaps she simply thought it impossible that he might be able to seal it. He wasn't sure he believed it either.

"What if this doesn't work?" Dellis finally asked.

"Then we find another way," Cassandra replied, continuing without looking back.

"What if there isn't a way?"

"Be quiet, thief."

"Thief?" he asked with a chuckle. "I admit that I'm sure a gathering of mages and templars had plenty of value to steal but really, Seeker, you give me too much credit."

Cassandra said nothing as she continued to lead them toward the rift. She stopped short as a disembodied voice broke the silence.

Now is the hour of our victory. Bring forth the sacrifice.

"What... is that?" she asked, looking around frantically for the source.

"I expect it is whoever created the Breach," Solas offered, prompting a laugh from Varric.

"Master of the obvious, Chuckles." Varric's smile instantly faded as his eyes fell on a red crystalline substance jutting from the wall ahead of them. "That's red lyrium, Seeker," he said, as if the statement had some special significance to Cassandra.

"I see it, Varric," she gruffly replied.

"But what is it doing here?" Varric pushed. "I don't like this..."

Someone, help me!

Cassandra literally seemed to jump out of her skin at the sound of the new voice.

Someone, help me!

What's going on here?

Dellis flinched as he heard his own voice speaking words he did not remember uttering.

A burst of energy from his hand interrupted the oncoming conversation as the rift pulsed with life. A black fog shrouded the room, congealing into the figures of several individuals. One Dellis clearly recognized as himself. The other he assumed was Divine Justinia.

Run while you can! Warn them!

Dellis's brow furrowed as he realized that the Divine had been addressing him, of all people.

"You were there!" Cassandra shouted, turning to him angrily. "Most Holy called out to you. Why?"

"I don't remember!" he reminded her, holding his hands up defensively. "Believe me, Seeker, I wish I did."

"It is an echo of what transpired," Solas offered as the images dissipated. "This rift is not sealed, but it is closed. I believe the prisoner can open the rift so that it can be sealed safely."

"Uh, won't that invite some friends we'd rather not deal with?" Varric asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It is unavoidable," Solar replied.

"Stand ready!" Cassandra shouted at the soldiers. She turned her gaze back to Dellis and nodded. With a heavy sigh, he reached out his hand and connected with the rift. It writhed and sparked and suddenly a massive beam shot out. Dellis blinked as he stared eye to eye with a pride demon.

"Well... that's shite." Dellis had mere moments to move before the pride demon roared and came barreling toward him. With its greater mass, it did not have the precision needed to follow his quick movements and Dellis was able to scramble to relative safety as the archers regained enough of their composure to open fire. Even Cassandra seemed to be at a loss for how to fight such a monstrosity.

"The rift!" Solas shouted over the sounds of battle. "Disrupt it and you may weaken the demon!"

Dellis dashed as close to the rift as he could and reached out his hand. Nothing happened. I'm too far away, he thought to himself with a frown. His eyes traced along the floor to a large outcropping of wall that seemed close enough to the rift. He immediately set to work scaling the wall.

"What are you doing?" Cassandra shouted as she attempted to evade the demon.

"Rescuing you this time, Seeker," Dellis returned, reaching the top of the wall and reaching out again toward the rift. With a satisfied pulse, the green tendril shot out from his palm and briefly detonated the rift, eliciting a pained bellow from the pride demon beneath.

Dellis became concerned when the demon's gazed fixed squarely on his position. He wasn't sure if demons had feelings, beyond those they were named for, but he was certain he saw a burning hot rage in the creature's eyes. It rushed for the wall, slamming its massive shoulder into the already crumbling edifice. Dellis had only moments to react as the entire structure collapsed. He did the first thing he could think of. He jumped onto the pride demon's back.

"Andraste's ass, human!" Varric shouted, his eyes wide as saucers. "You are riding that pride demon!"

"Maker's balls," Dellis hissed, latching on to one of the demon's massive horns. The creature bucked and screeched as it tried to dislodge him.

"Maker preserve us," Cassandra sputtered in exasperation as she tried to gain the demon's attention by hacking vainly at one of its armored legs.

"It is weakened," Solas called up to Dellis. "Seal the rift and you will destroy the demon!"

"Easy for you to say!" Dellis exclaimed in return as he was nearly thrown off of the creature. Securing his grip on the bucking demon, Dellis extended his arm and gritted his teeth. He heard a loud wail from the demon as the rift burst and everything went dark.